Electric furnace.



J. H. REID. ELECTRIC FURNAGE'.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1,1907.

Patented Oct', 6, 1908.

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WH'HESSES 'Patented 00001908.

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INVENTUR J. HZREID.

J. `H. REID. ELECTRIC FUBNAOE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1,1907.

. 'UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JAMES HENRY REID, OF GORNWALL, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO l STEPHEN LEMUEL TINGLEY, 0F OTTAWA, CANADA.

ELECTRIC FURNACE.

and the objects of my invention arc to pro vide a. single multiple element furnace, in which, by a continuous action, the valuable elements and by products may be sepa-rated from the orc and from each other, and recovered.

The separation and refining of the metals and other elements in compound minerals, as at present; carried out, is an exceedingly tedious, complicated, and costly process, and although the utilization of the heat and the in-4 fluence of an electric current has facilitated the process considerably, yet. the disadvanta ge still remains that. the process is not suffi ciently concentrated, and before each metal can bc obtained in a. separate and pure state, it'. is necessaryto pass the metal through a considerable number of different forms of apparatus, each very -ingeniously designed to accomplish one particular process. hatis gained. however, in t-he adaptability of the individual a ppara-tus, is lost by the inexactness and tediousness of the `)rocess as .a whole, the transfer of the ore rom one apparatus to thenext, frequently causes such changes in the physi lal or chemical constitution of the minerals as to place a gap in the continuitv of the process, ent-ailing a waste of material or an undesirable electrical or chemical combination. lVhcre accuracy was obtained in this process, time an commercial propriety were lost, and in many minerals is was profitable only to recover the most valuable metals, leaving the remaiialor as a waste residue.

According to-my invention, the extraction is producedby successively submitting the ore in a crude or prepared state to the effects of u. number of electric aires, each capable of independent regulation ot intensity and quantity, having currents of succ ssively increasing or decreasing intensity, actingI on Jthe ore where necessary with suitable reagents. while under the action of the elec- Specifcation of Letters Patent. Application filed April 1, 1907.

Patented Oct.'6, 1908.

Serial No.`365,783.

tric are, and withdrawing the snblimed or volatile products separately from each are in succession for further action in refining, condensation or storing. To accomplish this, 1 form a chamber about each electric arc, the different chambers discharing into each other and each beingprovid'ed with wclldtnown instrumentalitles for introducing re-agents and withdrawing the volatile products.

The easiest' sublimed metal or element in the ore will befreed in the first chamber and the residue gradually dropping into the" next chamber will be there acted on by any necessary re-agents and an electric current to produce such a tempera-ture as will free the, next amenable metal or element. Tins process is repeated in the succeeding chambers until finally all the desirable elements are recovered, the number of stages depending on. the complexity' of the ore and the characterof the elements therein.

There necessary, a` suitable flux may be introduced between two successive steps in the process in order to better facilitate the extraction of the elements desired.

An embodiment of the apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which` Figure l is a sectional view of thea paratus. Fig. 2 is a view of a modified orm of the invention having means for introducing a flux or otherwise treating the ore between two successive ste-ps in the process.

Referring to the ap aratus shown in Fig. 1, it will be observed tiiat it is'constructed 1n three separately formed sections A, B and C, superimposed on each other and'similar in form, each having inclined conical bottoms a, b, cwith central apertures d, c and f, through which the ore may pass. These sections may be constructed of any suitable material of a. refractory nature` and in the embodiment illustrated, each consists of nu annular ring s resting on a bottom member t in which the conical aperture is formed, both being surrounded by a protecting casing ln. also be included.

A suitable feeding hopper D provided at the top of the apparatus and a suitable supporting base E is provided. at the bottom thereof.

Each of the treating chambers, or sections4 A, B4 and C are provided with well-known lVhcrc desired a. water jacket may. i

instrumentalities for heating, introducing reagents, and withdrawing the volatile or sublimed products. The heating means illustrated are electrodes F and G which extend through the walls of each chamber and are regulated by suitable means, such as a standard. g journaled in bearings 71. on castings 1,', and operating through straps y' secured to the electrodes.

The volatile products are Withdrawn -by suitable means through outletpipes-,H in each chamber.

The introduction of ree-agents in the embodiment illustrated, is effected through noz- :ales n, o and 1), connected to valvcd conducting pipes x, Z and m, adapted to supply' 'the reagents in a liquid, gaseous, or inely-povv dered state under pressure, or not, as desired.

.For withdrawing the ultimate products after passage through the apparatus, an ordinary conveying belt I is provided operating below the apertures in the lowest chamber. v Where it is necessary to introduce a flux,

or otherwise'treat the orc between two heat ing operations, the apparatus shown .in Fig. 2 will be employed. In this, the conveying belt passes through a treating chamber J and discharges the ore into the hopper K of a second vapparatus similar to the first, in which the process may be further carried on to any desired extent.

In carrying out the process in my i1nproved apparatus, the ore in a crude or prepared state, is fed into the top hopper. Passing Ethrough the first chamber, it is sub jected` to .such temperature as will free t-he easiestfs'ublinied element which it is desired 40 to recover. v`Where the character of the element-requires it, a suitable rc-agent may be introduced into the ore through the nozzle n whilethe ore is being sub'ected to the action of the electric current. Phe residue of the ore, after this element has been extracted, will into the second chamber where the temperature will be raised, and the treatl ment made suitable for the extraction of the' next amenable element, which' will be with- 'drawn in a Volatile state through the outlet pipe H. This rocess is continued in each successive cham er, the a paratus being generally designed with relierencc to the particular ore to be treated and having a sufficient number of sections to accomplish the separate recovery of 'each desired element.l

veniently by the apparatus shown in Fig. 2,

the luxgwill be introduced during passage through the treating chamber J.

f" wild 4 be observed th t, the process throughoutI is carried out in one continuous .o ration in a -single apparatus. each element in the ore being recovered separately' and being treated for at the exact temperature at which its recovery'can be most eiiiciently made. The temperature of each chamber and the means for introducing vreagents therein are independently controlled for each. chamber, enabling the process to be carried out with a great degree of exactness.

It will further be observed that very little of the'ore will contact with the wall of the chamber, as it passes through in practically a continuous stream and is only .retarded at the different points where it is acted on by` the electric are.

l.v Anelectric furnace comprising a series of separate and superimposed units, each unit discharging into the one below it, and means for creating an electric arc centrally within each unit, through, which the material discharged from the previous unit is adapted to fall, and means for varying the cheniical conditions in each unit, as and for the purpose specified.

2. An electric furnace comprising a series of separate and superimposed units, each unit discharging into the one below it, means for creating an electric arc centrally Within each unit through which the material discharged from the previous unit is adapted to fall, means for Varying the chemical conditions in eachvunit, and means for separat-ely withdrawing the volatile products from each unit, as and for the purpose specied. y

3. An electric,v furnace comprising a series of separate and superimposed units having centrally formed openings in their bottoms through which vthe material is adapted to pass and drop through the units, without contacting with the walls, thereof, means for creating an electric arc centrally within each unit, through which the material is adapted to pass, andmeans for varying the chemical conditions in each. unit, as and for the purpose specified.

n electric furnace comprising a 'series l of similarly formed separate and superim' l osed units, each unit having separate means or varying the temperature introducing 115 chemica reagents, and withdrawing the volatile products, as and for the purpose specified.

5. .An electric furnace including a plurality of chambers discharging into each other and forming'together a single'unitary furnace, a plurallty of sets. of electrodes in thechambers adapted to produce arcs therein, and conducting means leading into each of the chambers and separately discharging on the exterior Vofthewvhole furnace, whereby 'the particulas volatilssubiined in each cham rmay be separatel recovered.

6. An electric furnace including ai plurality of chambers discharging into each lsb other and formin a single unitai` furnace,

l in each chamber me be sepaiateli7 adjustable electro es in each cham r. adaptf A ered. 1G

ed to producel an arc therein, means 1n each Signed at Ottawa, in the Province of O'n# o chamber'for introducing chemical reagents, l tario, this 20thda of March 1907.

5 and conducting means leadin into each ofl the chambers and separately ischarging on the exterior of the whole furnace, whereby the` particular volatile product sublime RUSSEL S. SMART, c WM. A. Wm1v. 

